Cobian Backup

Cobian Backup was a well-regarded free backup solution for Windows users, enabling them to create automated backups of their files and folders. Its strength lay in its flexibility and comprehensive feature set, particularly considering it was a donation-supported application.

Key capabilities included support for multiple backup types:

• Full Backups: Creating complete copies of selected data.
• Incremental Backups: Backing up only files that have changed or been added since the last backup of any type.
• Differential Backups: Backing up files that have changed since the last full backup.

Security was addressed through robust encryption options, including various ciphers like AES, Blowfish, and Rijndael, ensuring that backed-up data remained protected from unauthorized access. Cobian Backup also incorporated Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) support, allowing it to back up files and folders that were currently in use or locked by other applications.

Beyond basic backup, Cobian provided features like file compression to save storage space, the ability to exclude specific files or folders, and the option to run custom commands or applications before and after backup tasks. While it lacked full-fledged disk imaging or cloning capabilities, its focus on file and folder-level backups made it suitable for a wide range of personal and small-business backup needs.

Despite being discontinued, its legacy of providing a stable, free, and feature-rich backup solution continues to resonate with users who still rely on older versions or appreciate its design philosophy.

Cobian Backup Review

Cobian Backup, despite its discontinuation, remains a notable application in the realm of free Windows backup software. During its active development period, it garnered a reputation for being a reliable, flexible, and feature-rich solution for both personal and small-business data protection.

One of Cobian Backup's primary strengths was its comprehensive approach to file and folder-level backups. It didn't aim to be a full disk imaging solution, but within its scope of file-based backups, it offered a surprising depth of functionality. Users could configure multiple backup tasks, each with distinct source and destination settings, scheduling, and other parameters. This task-based approach provided excellent flexibility for backing up different types of data or backing up the same data to multiple locations.

The support for various backup types - full, incremental, and differential - was crucial for efficient storage management and faster backup times. Incremental backups, in particular, were effective for frequent backups of actively changing data, as they only transferred the modified files. The inclusion of VSS support was another significant advantage, allowing backups of files that might otherwise be locked by running applications, crucial for databases or active documents.

Security was clearly a priority for the developer. The support for strong encryption algorithms meant that users could confidently back up sensitive data knowing it would be protected from unauthorized access even if the backup media fell into the wrong hands. This level of encryption was not always standard in free backup utilities.

The software's scheduling capabilities were highly configurable, allowing users to set up backups to run at specific times, on certain days, or even based on intervals. This automation was essential for ensuring backups were performed regularly without requiring manual intervention.

Destinations were not limited to local drives and network shares; the ability to back up directly to FTP servers was a significant plus, offering a simple way to implement offsite backups without relying on commercial cloud storage providers (though support for some cloud services like Amazon S3 was also added later). Compression options further enhanced the practicality of backups by reducing the storage footprint.

The user interface, while functional, could be considered somewhat dated compared to modern applications. However, it was generally intuitive for anyone familiar with configuring software settings. The logging and reporting features were valuable for monitoring the success or failure of backup tasks, providing essential feedback on the status of data protection efforts.

Running Cobian Backup as a Windows service was a key feature for unattended backups, ensuring that scheduled tasks would execute regardless of whether a user was logged in. This was particularly useful for server environments or for ensuring home PC backups ran overnight.

Overall, Cobian Backup provided a robust and reliable platform for file and folder backups on Windows. Its combination of flexible task configuration, multiple backup types, strong encryption, and versatile destination options made it a standout freeware application for many years. While no longer actively developed, its legacy demonstrates the power of well-designed, donation-supported software in addressing critical user needs.